True to its reputation, Sicily was a balmy 72 °F and in full bloom in early December, a welcome respite from the cold winter rain that gripped northern Italy when departing from Milan's Malpensa Airport two hours earlier.At first glance, this benignclimate appears to be the main factor behind Sicily's meteoric ascent in wine quality over the last 15 years. But the island is far more complex than that. The differences in weather, annual precipitation, soil composition and vineyard altitude across Sicily are extreme.Vineyard altitudes range from just about sea level along the coasts to as high as 3,600 feet on the slopes of Mount Etna. Differences in annual rainfall are equally dramatic, from an average of just 12 inches along the southeastern tip to 47 inches on Mount Etna.
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